Minisforum N5 Air-7640 Launches as a More Affordable NAS With Ryzen 5 Power and Up to 174 TB Storage
Minisforum has introduced a lower-cost version of its N5 Air network-attached storage system, giving home lab users, creators, and small businesses another compact NAS option with serious storage potential. The new model, called the Minisforum N5 Air-7640, replaces the Ryzen 7 255 found in the higher-end version with an older AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor, helping bring the price down while keeping most of the same hardware features intact.
The overall design remains familiar. The N5 Air-7640 uses the same compact chassis, measuring 199 x 202 x 252 mm and weighing around 4 kg. Minisforum has also retained the slide-out internal layout, which is one of the system’s more practical features. This design makes it easier to access memory slots, M.2 SSD slots, and other internal components without turning upgrades into a complicated process.
Although the processor has been downgraded, the N5 Air-7640 still offers impressive storage flexibility. It includes five SATA drive bays that support both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives, with each bay supporting drives of up to 30 TB. That means users can install as much as 150 TB of SATA storage alone.
For faster storage, the system also includes three M.2 slots, allowing up to 24 TB of additional NVMe SSD capacity. Combined, Minisforum advertises a maximum total storage capacity of 174 TB, making the N5 Air-7640 a strong option for media libraries, backups, surveillance footage, virtualization, and large creative projects.
The NAS also supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 6 configurations. This gives users the flexibility to prioritize speed, redundancy, or a balance of both, depending on their workload and data protection needs.
Memory support is another strong point. The Minisforum N5 Air-7640 includes two SO-DIMM slots and supports up to 96 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. That should be more than enough for typical NAS tasks, while also leaving room for more demanding uses such as containerized applications, virtual machines, media servers, and multi-user file access.
Networking is handled by both 10 Gbps and 5 Gbps Ethernet ports, giving the system plenty of bandwidth for high-speed local transfers. This is especially useful for users working with large video files, backups, or shared storage across multiple devices.
Expansion options are also included. The N5 Air-7640 features OCuLink support and an internal PCIe x16 physical slot wired for PCIe Gen4 connectivity. These features make the system more versatile than a basic NAS, opening the door for additional hardware expansion depending on user needs.
For external connectivity, the device includes two USB4 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, and one USB 2.0 port. Operating system support includes Minisforum’s own MinisCloud OS, along with Windows 11 Pro and Linux, making the N5 Air-7640 appealing to both plug-and-play users and advanced tinkerers.
Pricing starts at $495 for a configuration with 64 GB of OS storage and no system memory. A version with 16 GB of DDR5 memory is also listed, while higher configurations can push the price to $679. Shipments are expected to begin in late October.
For comparison, the Ryzen 7 255 version of the N5 Air is currently priced at $535 as a barebones model and $719 with 16 GB of memory. That makes the new N5 Air-7640 a slightly cheaper alternative for users who want the same storage-heavy NAS design but do not necessarily need the newer Ryzen 7 processor.
Overall, the Minisforum N5 Air-7640 looks like a compelling choice for anyone searching for a compact NAS with high-capacity storage support, fast networking, DDR5 memory, and strong expansion options. By lowering the processor tier while keeping the rest of the platform largely intact, Minisforum has created a more accessible version of its N5 Air that should appeal to home server builders, small office users, and data-heavy creators looking for a powerful yet space-saving storage solution.
